Montag had decided to keep the books in the grill for a long period of time because he was not willing to sacrifice his own security to know the truth. The man at the start of the book was not yet ready to step out of his world yet. He was scared of the unknown. He did not want to throw the familier away for something that was unfamiliar. Montag knew that by reading any of those books, he would put himself along with Mildred in danger. For this reason, he did not take the leap. Approaching the end of the book though, when Mildred had her friends over, Montag took out a book and started reading to them. Incidentally, the poem, Dover Beach, that Montag was reading to Mrs.Phelps was sad and it was one that many can connect to. After Montag had finished reading, Mrs.Phelps had started crying, and, “The others in the middle of the desert watched her crying very loud as her face squeezed itself out of shape. They sat not touching her, bewildered with her display. She sobbed uncontrollably”